ActiveRunningAdidas Adizero Prime X Strung review: Fast and efficient Nike Alphafly 2 rivalsThis is the Adidas carbon race shoe we’ve all been waiting forWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Kieran Alger)T3 VerdictThe Adidas Adizero Prime X Strung is the Adidas carbon racer we’ve been waiting for: punchy, propulsive, agile and fun. The Strung uppers fix Adidas' upper comfort problems while the lively midsole combination of the carbon rods, Lightstrike Pro foam and the rocker make this one of those shoes that pumps joy into race day.Reasons to buy+Incredibly lightweight+Fast, efficient and fun ride+Excellent upper comfort+Cheaper than the Nike AlphaflyReasons to avoid-Stack height isn’t race legal-Lacks stability on the corners-Pricey if you’re in the USWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
ActiveRunningAdidas Adizero Prime X Strung review: Fast and efficient Nike Alphafly 2 rivalsThis is the Adidas carbon race shoe we’ve all been waiting forWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Kieran Alger)T3 VerdictThe Adidas Adizero Prime X Strung is the Adidas carbon racer we’ve been waiting for: punchy, propulsive, agile and fun. The Strung uppers fix Adidas' upper comfort problems while the lively midsole combination of the carbon rods, Lightstrike Pro foam and the rocker make this one of those shoes that pumps joy into race day.Reasons to buy+Incredibly lightweight+Fast, efficient and fun ride+Excellent upper comfort+Cheaper than the Nike AlphaflyReasons to avoid-Stack height isn’t race legal-Lacks stability on the corners-Pricey if you’re in the USWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
This is the Adidas carbon race shoe we’ve all been waiting for
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Kieran Alger)T3 VerdictThe Adidas Adizero Prime X Strung is the Adidas carbon racer we’ve been waiting for: punchy, propulsive, agile and fun. The Strung uppers fix Adidas' upper comfort problems while the lively midsole combination of the carbon rods, Lightstrike Pro foam and the rocker make this one of those shoes that pumps joy into race day.Reasons to buy+Incredibly lightweight+Fast, efficient and fun ride+Excellent upper comfort+Cheaper than the Nike AlphaflyReasons to avoid-Stack height isn’t race legal-Lacks stability on the corners-Pricey if you’re in the US
(Image credit: Kieran Alger)
(Image credit: Kieran Alger)
T3 VerdictThe Adidas Adizero Prime X Strung is the Adidas carbon racer we’ve been waiting for: punchy, propulsive, agile and fun. The Strung uppers fix Adidas' upper comfort problems while the lively midsole combination of the carbon rods, Lightstrike Pro foam and the rocker make this one of those shoes that pumps joy into race day.Reasons to buy+Incredibly lightweight+Fast, efficient and fun ride+Excellent upper comfort+Cheaper than the Nike AlphaflyReasons to avoid-Stack height isn’t race legal-Lacks stability on the corners-Pricey if you’re in the US
T3 VerdictThe Adidas Adizero Prime X Strung is the Adidas carbon racer we’ve been waiting for: punchy, propulsive, agile and fun. The Strung uppers fix Adidas' upper comfort problems while the lively midsole combination of the carbon rods, Lightstrike Pro foam and the rocker make this one of those shoes that pumps joy into race day.
T3 Verdict
The Adidas Adizero Prime X Strung is the Adidas carbon racer we’ve been waiting for: punchy, propulsive, agile and fun. The Strung uppers fix Adidas' upper comfort problems while the lively midsole combination of the carbon rods, Lightstrike Pro foam and the rocker make this one of those shoes that pumps joy into race day.
Reasons to buy+Incredibly lightweight+Fast, efficient and fun ride+Excellent upper comfort+Cheaper than the Nike AlphaflyReasons to avoid-Stack height isn’t race legal-Lacks stability on the corners-Pricey if you’re in the US
Reasons to buy+Incredibly lightweight+Fast, efficient and fun ride+Excellent upper comfort+Cheaper than the Nike Alphafly
Incredibly lightweight
Fast, efficient and fun ride
Excellent upper comfort
Cheaper than the Nike Alphafly
Reasons to avoid-Stack height isn’t race legal-Lacks stability on the corners-Pricey if you’re in the US
Stack height isn’t race legal
Lacks stability on the corners
Pricey if you’re in the US
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
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We’ve put in some big, lung-busting miles to bring you this Adidas Adizero Prime X review. And rightly so. Adidas has kicked out some impressively propulsive race shoes in recent years – the Adios Pro 3, the original Prime X and the Takumi Sen 8. But they’ve not always been the most comfortable.
So when we heard Adidas had fused its clever, cutting-edge Strung uppers to its punchy Prime X midsole, we had high hopes for a carbon shoe to rival the Nike Alphafly Next% 2, without those comfort concerns. That’s why we’ve raced marathons, chased mile PBs and blown our lungs on all-out 5kms to see if this the fastest – and comfiest race – shoe on the rack? Can the Adidas Prime X Strung topple the Nike Alphafly? Read on to find out.
Adidas Adizero Prime X Strung review: Price and availability
The Adidas Prime X Strung was launched in September 2022. It’s available to buy now atAdidas US,Adidas UKandAdidas AUfor a recommended retail price of $300/£230/AU$420. That’s £40 cheaper than theNike Alphafly Next% 2in the UK (but oddly $25 more expensive in the US). It’s £10 pricier than theAdidas Adios Pro 3in the UK, though again, runners in the US get stung an extra $50 for the Strung. Other rivals to consider in the carbon running shoes race include the newSaucony Endorphin Elite($275/£280), theSaucony Endorphin Pro 3($225/£210) and theASICS Metaspeed Sky+($250/£225).
(Image credit: Kieran Alger)
(Image credit: Kieran Alger)
Adidas Adizero Prime X Strung review: What’s new?
But that’s not all the Prime X Strung offers. Those clever Strung uppers are fused to the same midsole unit that you’ll find in the originalAdidas Adizero Prime X. There’s a big three-layer stack of Adidas’ lightest and most responsive foam, the Lightstrike Pro, which is sadly not race-legal on this occasion due to the extremely high heels (49.5mm heel / 41mm forefoot).
The 8.5mm drop midsole wraps an aggressive rocker shaping around a set of carbon energy rods that sit underneath the metatarsals to provide lightweight stiffness and limit energy loss at toe-off. The rods' design also aims to help the foot flex naturally. The outsole has a thin covering of protective and grip-enhancing Continental rubber under the forefoot, and smaller reinforced sections on the high-impact heel areas.
Unlike the Nike Alphafly’s booty uppers, the Prime X Strung have a traditional lace set-up, with a thin, flat minimal foot wrapping tongue that’s stitched in on one side. There’s minimal padding to the flexible heel collar, which also has a foldable tab to help you pull the shoes on. That can be tucked down to avoid any heel rubbing.
(Image credit: Kieran Alger)
(Image credit: Kieran Alger)
Adidas Adizero Prime X Strung review: Fit
When it comes to fit, I ran in my regular size, UK 8.5. I found it easy to get a comfortable fit with reliable lace lockdown and good heel hold. I sometimes struggle with Adidas shoes coming up narrow, but the Prime X Strung ran perfectly well, and I’d recommend going true to size.
The Strung uppers make step-in comfort infinitely better than the Adidas Adios Pro 3. They feel light with a natural, disappearing feel on your foot and give your foot a race-feel hug without restriction.
The Strung’s more traditional laces and tongue set-up also make them considerably easier to get on than the Alphafly’s tighter booty fit – a real bonus if you have wide feet or a high in-step.
There’s plenty of room in the Prime X Strung toe box, too. But perhaps more importantly, if – like me – you suffered with pinch points across the top of the midfoot, on the big toe knuckle, in the Adidas Adios Pro 3, there’s none of that here.
Adidas Adizero Prime X Strung review: Running performance
I’ve run more than 150 miles in the Adidas Prime X Strung including racing a full marathon, two half marathons, and some all-out 5km and mile time trials. Most of those miles were on roads and pavements with the occasional stretch of compacted gravel river paths. I ran in some pretty wild and wet conditions, too.
The TLDR: A cracking carbon racer to rival the Nike Alphafly Next%2, these are everything you want in a speed shoe. Light, snappy and responsive across any distance from the mile to the marathon, they’re at their best when you’re running with all-out intent and locked-in good form.
The Prime X Strung are designed primarily for marathon racing, and I found them a joy over the 26.2 / 42km. These are shoes you feel like running fast in the moment you lace them on, and they excelled over the half marathon distance, too.
“The only shoe I’ve run quicker in is the Alphafly”(Image credit: Kieran Alger)
“The only shoe I’ve run quicker in is the Alphafly”
“The only shoe I’ve run quicker in is the Alphafly”
(Image credit: Kieran Alger)
Once you’re moving, that combination of the carbon rods, the foam and the rocker produce pronounced propulsion, spring, roll and efficiency. The big stack of Lightstrike Pro foam also definitely helped my tired legs stay fresher deeper into my marathon as well.
The marathon test was on a torrentially rainy day with a route that was mainly road but had some mud paths. That proved to be an excellent test for the grip, which held up really well. As did the Strung uppers. The shoes took on water but didn’t hold it, so they never felt heavy.
In testing, I also ran my second fastest mile ever in the Prime X Strung on a 400m park loop. The only shoe I’ve run quicker in is the Alphafly. So they can cope nicely over shorter distances, too.
However, one word of warning: they struggle with stability in tighter corners. I found my foot sliding off that springy midsole platform on sharp turns. I often spent the next few strides realigning my foot in the shoe. So they may not be the best choice for twistier, turnier races.
There’s also the question of the stack height, which isn’t race-legal. But we’ll leave you to decide whether you think it’s ok for non-elite runners to race in 50mm stack shoes.
(Image credit: Kieran Alger)
(Image credit: Kieran Alger)
Adidas Adizero Prime X Strung review: Durability
After at least 150 miles, the Adidas Prime X Strung isn’t showing any worrying signs of wear to the outsole or the Lightstrike Pro midsole. I had some concerns about the lace eyelets breaking off but nothing to report here, either. Even the flexible heels – without any substantial plastic heel counter – are still in great shape. This is a shoe I’d expect to use for 300+ miles, at least.
(Image credit: Kieran Alger)
(Image credit: Kieran Alger)
Adidas Adizero Prime X Strung review: Verdict
This is a fantastic carbon race shoe that really comes alive when you’re running at your best, going all out, in your best running form and chasing fast finish times. The Strung uppers are a fantastic improvement, bringing superior comfort over Adidas’ other carbon race shoes. The ride is punchy, powerful and efficient but best of all – it’s fun on any distance. With as much punch as the Nike Alphafly Next% 2, better comfort than the Adidas Adios Pro 3 and much cheaper than the Saucony Endorphin Elite, the Adidas Prime X Strung is right up there with the best.
Adidas Adizero Prime X Strung review: Also consider
The Prime X Strung is right up there with the best carbon race shoes on the shelves right now. The other shoe we’d recommend you look at first is theNike Alphafly 2. This shoe remains one of the best, most responsive race shoes going – particularly for distances like the half and full marathon. If you prefer a booty fit, go for these.
If you want something cheaper, more stable and more generally comfortable across a wider range of paces, theEndorphin Pro 3is another excellent race shoe. It’s probably a touch more protective over longer miles than the Prime X Strung, though not quite as punchy. But that trade-off also means it works well for faster training sessions as well as chasing PBs. Worth considering if you value that versatility.
Another newcomer to the carbon shootout, theSaucony Endorphin Eliteis a capable carbon racer that balances propulsion, energy and response with a touch more stability than some carbon shoes. Livelier than the Endorphin Pro 3, there’s a lot to like in this marathon-friendly option. However, the price tag is a little large for our liking. And we’d recommend the Prime X Strung more highly.
Adidas Adizero Prime X Strung: Price Comparison
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